WATCH: Ryan Seacrest and Girlfriend Shayna Taylor Show Off Their 'Open' New York City Kitchen
Ryan Seacrest and his girlfriend Shayna Taylor spend a lot of time in their kitchen. In fact, food is what initially brought the couple together.
“It was the first time we were together, and she said, ‘I make these amazing gluten-free pancakes,’ and I said, ‘What?! Well, tell me everything!’” Seacrest, 46, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.
So when they moved in to a New York City apartment together, they wanted to be sure the kitchen was perfect for their cooking needs and their relationship.
“We love this kitchen because it’s open,” the Live with Kelly and Ryan co-host tells PEOPLE in the Hollywood at Home video, above. “It’s definitely got enough space. Coming from California we had a lot of space, so we like it for that reason. We also like it because it’s in an open room, so you’re never separated. One of us could be watching something. One of us could be in here, and you could still…”
“…Talk and feel like you’re connected,” Taylor, 26, finishes.
The pair often use their large island breakfast bar, which features six counter seats, while cooking, and make natural, health-based foods such as homemade kombucha and natural almond milk.
In addition to what Taylor describes as “food chemistry” and a shared passion for fitness, health and wellness, the couple has a compatibility that extends beyond the kitchen.
“We’re very in sync,” says Seacrest, who calls their cross-country move an “adventure” they’ve both embraced.
“Moving to a new city together was fun because we were also having a new chapter together,” says Taylor, who grew up in Corona, California, listening to Seacrest on KIIS-FM radio and watching him host American Idol. “Living together is easy.”
Seacrest and Taylor also seem to have similar living styles, with both admitting they like to maintain a hyper-organized fridge, where their items are separated by baskets.
One of their favorite new kitchen appliances is the dehydrator, which they use on foods from fruits and vegetables like peppers and kale.
“It makes it very crispy and crunchy,” Seacrest acknowledges, before admitting that Taylor, who runs the food blog Shayna’s Kitchen, is a trained chef, and typically takes charge in the kitchen.
“I am the cook for the most part in the family,” Taylor admits.
The couple also enjoy a glass of wine and have a built-in wine fridge in their sprawling cook space. However, they have differing tastes in the type of wines they prefer. Taylor appreciates biodynamic wines because they don’t have added sulfites, meaning they don’t “make you feel bad or lethargic.”
But Seacrest is less picky when it comes to vino.
“I like wines that are open,” he says. “So we have that in common.”
As for the perfect night in their New York City abode? Seacrest says the pair is all about a little rest and relaxation.
“We have this weird thing where we listen to spa music at home,” he says. “So whatever time work is done, the spa music is on and it really relaxes you. People come over. They don’t ask but you can tell they are trying to figure out what’s happening…if we’re going to give them a robe or something, you know for them to walk to the spa.”
Taylor is in agreement, but she’d like to throw dinner into the mix, adding: “Spa music, a good, not-complicated television show, and a home-cooked meal, probably.”
